Import contacts into an Outlook.com account

When you use an Exchange ActiveSync email account—for example, an Outlook.com account (formerly Hotmail)—in Outlook 2013, the steps for importing contacts are different from the ones you follow for an Exchange account. For more information, see Set up your Outlook.com account in Outlook 2013 or higher.

Tip To find out whether you have an Exchange ActiveSync account, click File > Account Settings > Account Settings. Click the E-mail tab, and find your account in the Name column, and check whether the Type column says Exchange ActiveSync.

You can import contacts in a .pst file from another version of Outlook, import your Gmail contacts, or import contacts from a .csv file.

Add Google Gmail contacts or contacts from a .csv

The smoothest way to use Gmail contacts in Outlook.com is to add them on the Outlook.com website.

You can also use the Outlook.com website to add contacts from a .csv file. (For Outlook.com accounts, using Outlook to import the .csv won’t work.)

Gmail contacts

Go to http://people.live.com and log in to your Outlook.com account.

Under Add people to your contact list, click Google contacts.

Click Connect.

Sign in to your Google account.

Click Allow Access, then click Done.

A .csv file

First, create the .csv file. For example, if you have contacts in an Excel spreadsheet, save the spreadsheet as a .csv file. Or, if you want to use contacts from another mail account, go to that account and follow the provider’s instructions for exporting contacts to a .csv file.

Now, you’re ready to add the contacts to your Outlook.com account.

Go to http://people.live.com and log in to your Outlook.com account.

Under Add people to your contact list, click Import from file.

Click Microsoft Outlook (using CSV).

Click Browse, click the .csv file you want to import, and click Open.

Click Import contacts.

If you had the same person in both lists, Outlook.com gives you a chance to combine the contact information.